Psyched
by Spicy Carrot
Summary: You had no intention of remaining a superhero after being recruited by Tony Stark for the airport battle in Berlin. Though that sentiment changes as the relationship between you and a certain web-slinger develops over time. This story takes place roughly around (and after) the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Peter Parker x Reader, assuming reader is female. Your last name i
1. 1

Just another Saturday at grandma's haunted tea shop.

Hey everyone. It's Just another Saturday at grandma's haunted tea shop. been a while since I've written a fanfic (or anything, really) so I'm hoping this won't turn out too terribly. If anyone actually happens to stumble across this, I hope your standards aren't too high and wish you fun while reading this most likely somewhat cringe worthy story.

—————————

Alright. You're in a terrible situation, truly tragic. What a disaster.

The urge of wanting to jump in front of a moving train bubbles up inside of you, which definitely sounds tempting at the moment. Too bad you're currently on said train, which everyone on the scene, both nosy bystanders and passengers of it, are expecting you to save from crashing into a busy street of New York City, which would kill hundreds in the process. No biggie. Absolutely no pressure on you there.

Pull it together, y/n, you scold yourself, you're too young to die! Not in this multi-million, neon colored spandex suit anyway!

But just in case you do, you silently curse the people who even got you into this mess in the first place.

It all started when you were born. Your parents are at fault here. Wait, no. Too far back.

Well, ultimately the trigger for it was pressed a couple of months ago when you decided to help out your grandmother in her store as a cashier. You desperately needed the extra money and accepted her offer, even though you could've sworn that place was haunted.

Your grandmother owns a store a few blocks away from your apartment in Brooklyn, where she sells all sorts of funky asian medicine items, ranging from Chinese teas and herbs to "magic" charms and totems. Most people come for the tea, though.

So one day, your dear halmeoni ordered you to bring her some boxes from the storage room, when you suddenly spotted some kind of glowing item lying on the floor. It appeared to be a wooden figure shaped like a tree frog, which you decided to pick up and put back into what you assumed was its respective place on the shelf. Coincidentally, you suddenly developed frog-themed superpowers over the course of the next two hours or so. Just another typical Saturday working at grandma's haunted tea shop.

At first, you had no idea what to do with them. Amongst other things you could now jump really high and had sticky hands and feet and your swimming ability increased significantly. Cool stuff, but you weren't planning on using them for sports.

Being a superhero was out of the picture too, because 1) New York already had the Spider guy, 2) there was no way in hell you'd march around in a goddarn skin-tight spandex suit. Absolutely none.

Then it all went to shit when multi-bazillionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark, aka Iron Man himself and your brother's former boss, showed up at your door, offering to build you a fur-suit and wanting to recruit you to fight the personification of American patriotism at some airport in Germany.

Stark planted himself on your desk chair after a brief chat with your mother and started talking.

"From what I've heard, you'd make a pretty good addition to the team. Granted, it's temporary, but you'd do well."

"What? I don't- I'm really not as talented as my brother when it comes to engineering and whatever."

Mr Stark raised his eyebrows. "That.. might have some truth to it, but you know that's not why I'm here, kid."

"Sir, I really don't."

"Oh yeah? Didn't you break your school's high jump record by, what was it, sixteen feet?"

"Beginner's luck."

"Look, y/n, you might not want to admit it, but your powers could help change the world, your grandmother's told me all about them. The team needs you for this mission."

You sighed in annoyance. "Mr Stark, I- if I wanted to be a superhero, I would've started months ago. It's really not my kind of business, I don't think I have what it takes."

"Ya know kid, I kinda like your attitude. But riddle me this", he pulled up a holographic screen. "If you don't have what it takes, how'd you manage to stop this jewelry store from getting robbed, huh?"

There you were, on video. Well, not really.

"I turned invisible."

Stark nodded with an expression on his face signalizing yeah, no shit you can.

"But I can't do it on command, it was a total coincidence!"

"If that's your only problem, then we'll figure it out."

So you gave in eventually. You briefly brainstormed some ideas for your costume together (spandex, duh.) and clear up some other things, and decided on your new superhero name. Cool stuff.

"Wait, what am I going to tell my mom, though?"

"Stark Internship."

You gulped.

"Like like my brother?"

"He was... a good kid", Stark muttered and averted his eyes, then glanced back at you. "Worked for the other kid, anyway."

You squinted your eyes in disbelief.

"Other kid?"


	2. 2

Psyched to meet ya.

Next thing you knew you were sitting in a private jet to Berlin with Happy Hogan and a mysterious stranger wearing sunglasses and a scarf around his face.

You too had taken sunglasses and a cap with you, which, after a while of the scarf-guy rambling on about this being his first flight (and Happy taking a different seat) was commented by the only adult around.

"Why are you two wearing sunglasses? We're inside."

The other kid and you made eye contact, at least you think he did. His sight orbs weren't visible through the colorful, shaded glass.

"It's to conceal our secret identities", he said.

You nodded. "Privacy, ya know."

Happy in turn signed, exhausted, and proceeded to mind his own business for the rest of the flight.

After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, you turned to the guy.

"So, who exactly are you? Like, what's your deal here?"

That must've sounded rude.

"Oh, I'm- Stark Internship..?", he muttered.

You squinted at him. Before you could comment on it, Happy was faster.

"No need for a cover story here. Both of you are superheroes", the man groaned from his seat, desperate for sleep.

The boy sighed.

"I'm Spider-Man."

First day doing this and you already met the Spider-Man. You got now why Stark called him "the other kid".

"I thought you'd be older", you smirked.

"You're the same age", Happy grumbled once more.

Spider-Man finally took off his scarf to speak. "You're also a superhero?"

You grimaced, hearing it now makes it appear even more surreal. "I guess so, didn't have much of a choice, really."

He chuckled somewhat nervously.

"Psyched."

"What?", he replied in confusion.

"That- that's my hero name. Short for psychedelic, because of some of my powers. I do illusion stuff", you blabbered out while awkwardly fumbling around with the cap you were wearing.

Spidey flashed you a sincere smile. "That's way more original than mine, gotta admit."

You thanked him, stretching your mouth into a deformed grin-smirk-smile abomination, then turned your head away in order to avoid eye contact.

"My spit stuns people."

You were really starting to burst out at random intervals. Way to disturb a stranger.

"Does that... hurt?", Spider-Man wondered. He seemed genuinely interested and only a tad bit disturbed.

"Not sure. I'm pretty sure it just makes some of your body parts go numb for a bit."

"How come I've never heard about you before?"

You remained silent. Inhaled, trying to say something.

"Well, I didn't really plan on, ya know. Doing this. First time in a battle, yay."

Lifting your hands, you did half-hearted, ironic jazz-hands.

The guy opposite you smiled again. Were you really that entertaining?

Time flies when you're flying. Soon enough, Happy ordered "the two of you lovebirds" to get out and you were on your way to the hotel. Pretty neat.

Happy instructed both of you to put on your respective suits, and so you did.

Surprisingly comfy for a skin-tight one.

The design resembled a red-eyed tree frog, with a color palette of mostly green, blue and off-white on some parts of the legs, sleeves and side of your torso, as well as a reddish orange for the feet and fingertips. The silhouette of a frog was printed on the chest-part in blue. For the head a thin half-open helmet/mask with a red visor that hid your eyes nicely.

Now you're wearing that exact suit and snap out of that ridiculous day dream. You're a hero now and you've got to act like one, too.

Sticky ropes emerge from both of your wristbands, which you wrap around the train in hopes of holding it back. You quickly jolt upwards, sticking your feet to the walls of the next-best sky scraper and try to pull, but the train barely budges. Sure, you're strong, but Psyched is no Spider-Man when it comes to muscles.

You can't fail. You really can't afford letting all of these people down now-

Thinking of the devil, a familiar figure in red swings by you.

"Need a haaaaaand?"

With your tongue-like ropes and his webs, you eventually manage to bring the train to safety.

After obligatory hand-shakes with the passengers, both of you retreat to the roof of an unfamiliar building.

"Thanks for earlier", you say somewhat dryly.

"Of course! I'm very glad something's finally happened here. Sometimes it's just so boring- Where'd all the action go in this city?"

You scoff. "Boring, out of all things? We could've died out there."

"It's just- it's just part of fulfilling your duty."

You don't answer and instead glance upon the skyline of the city. The sun is starting to set. Quite the romantic setting. With a soft sigh, you take off your helmet but leave on your visor.

Hair tied to a ponytail, small strands of it dance in the pleasant evening breeze.

"Guess you're right."

Spidey scoots a teeny, tiny bit closer to you and also let's his feet bumble from the edge of the roof.

"You know, I'm glad that, I mean, there's someone else. Someone I can work with and I'm not", he pauses, "on my own anymore?"

"Suuure", you reply, grinning.

You could've sworn you can see him turning even redder underneath his mask.

But he gets up almost instantly.

"Anyway, see you around?"

You nod to him.

"Psyched to see you again!", he says, then swings away into the setting sun.


	3. 3

Kinda busted.

"Y/n! Make sure to lock the door behind you!", your mother calls out from the kitchen as you enter the apartment.

You lock the door, take off your shoes and throw your school backpack onto the living room couch, where it lands right next to your sister.

"Ugh, what a day", you mumble, leaning on the back-piece of the sofa, letting your arms dangle.

As for usual, your little sister pretends not to notice your presence, concentrating fully on the book she's reading. Sometimes you wonder how she does that simultaneously to listening to the TV news.

"Watcha reading there?", you ask out of sheer curiosity.

"Your diary", Grace answered without missing a beat.

You don't actually write a diary.

"Some kind of engineering thingy", she says eventually, not taking her eyes off of the book, "found it in... his room."

Grace makes a clear statement by not mentioning your late brother's name, but before you can at least awkwardly pat her shoulder, your mom calls you to dinner.

"Thanks, mom", you two say at the same time while your mom sets down the plates.

"Sorry I couldn't help setting the table", you say and sit down.

"Well, someone sure could have", she glares at your sister, but quickly changes the topic. "Did you hear about the train accident earlier?"

That's when you wince. They don't notice.

"Yeah, good thing we've got those two heroes around", your sister is almost incomprehensible through her loud chewing.

Your mother nods. "Your grandmother told me you treated some of the injured passengers in the store."

Trying not to choke, you nod, eyes wide open. You haven't been in grandma's shop in weeks.

"Oh yeah. That red yeast rice does wonders."

"Grandma told me", your mother says approvingly.

Thank the heavens your grandmother's always got you covered whenever you're out fighting crime. Mostly helping old people cross the street, but that's fine by you.

However, since you haven't helped her out in a while, you also never got to see your paycheck. Maybe you should stop by sometime again.

After dinner, your sister knocks on your bedroom door and enters without awaiting a response.

"What the heck?", you complain.

"Yeah, what the heck is this?", she opens your backpack, and before you can complain again, pulls out your suit. The Psyched suit.

"It's for the school play."

"I thought you were doing Shakespeare?"

"We're adding a twist."

Grace sets down your backpack and quietly closes the door.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

You grimace awkwardly. "The twist was supposed to be a surprise."

"Don't bullshit me, y/n."

"Jeez, fine. Just stop swearing already."

You grab the suit and comfortably position yourself on your desk chair while your sister sits down on the floor.

"Yes, congratulations, you busted me. I'm Psyched. Psyched is me. If you tell anyone, you're dead. Got it?"

Your sister stares at you intensely.

She doesn't ask any questions, but you answer them anyway.

"I didn't plan on telling anyone because it's dangerous for people to know my secret identity. I also thought this would be a temporary thing, but then the whole 'Stark Internship' thing happened.

"My jumping record is 120 feet high, and no, my tongue isn't incredibly long and flexible."

"But is it sticky?"

"No."

For a while, the two of you siblings sit in silence. You desperately try to avoid eye contact.

"This is so cool!", Grace breaks the silence, whispering excitedly.

"You can't tell anyone."

She smiles from ear to ear, absolutely amazed. Astonished. Bedazzled.

"Can I- can I be The Guy- no, The Girl In The Chair?"

You sigh. "Isn't that normally the job of the genius best friend and not your thirteen-year-old little sister?"

"Genius little sister, dare I add."

The only thing she'd really be a genius in would be electronics or whatever. You're still the chemistry genius, you're attending Midtown High Schools after all.

"You know what? Screw it. Fine, so whatever. Just don't get in the way of my business, alright?"

"This is so cool. This is so cool! My sister's a superheroine!"

Unfortunately, you're feeling too exhausted to scold Grace and tell her to shut up.

"Sure. Whatever. Are you done now?"

Grace is still beaming, paralyzed from fascination, forcing you to basically shove her out of your door.

Then you turn around and flop wearily onto your bed, groaning yet again.

Why'd everyone have to make such a big fuss about this? Being a superhero was never your choice, you never had one to begin with.

The universe just threw a bunch of unwanted powers as well as an immense responsibility, then slapped the label "superhero" on your poor soul.

Come on. What would Iron Man say now?

"With great strength comes great accountability"?

No, that's not how the saying goes.

Probably something more like "Look, kid. Nobody chooses to become a superhero. Things just so happen to fall into place in a way that you basically don't have another option. Well, you do, but you'd have to be a massive dick-head to pass up an opportunity like this."

Maybe. You've only had about two conversations in person with Tony Stark so far, but as far as you can judge, he'd probably say something like that. But it doesn't really help.

What about grandma?

Eh. Just scold you for not having visited her more often. And complaining about all the times she had to cover for you.

There's really only one other person you could talk to about this kind of stuff. You should probably go out there and look for hi- No. that would be weird. It's not like you're really friends, anyway. Not yet.


End file.
